Corruption is a global phenomenon that has existed for a long time in many parts of the world. Evidence from across the world continues to confirm that corruption negatively impacts development. In the Pacific, it is clearly evident that corruption hurts the poor disproportionately, hinders economic development, undermines State accountability and capacity to provide equitable and responsive public services, and diverts investments from infrastructure, institutions and social services. Furthermore, corruption fosters an anti-democratic environment characterized by uncertainty, unpredictability and declining moral values and disrespect for constitutional institutions and the rule of law. Corruption, therefore, reflects a democracy, human rights and governance deficit that negatively impacts on poverty and human security and undermines the ability of countries in the region to achieve the MDGs^[1].

Although Pacific island countries now have various accountability institutions, recent research has found that they have struggled to be effective in combating corruption. At the heart of their limited impact has been a problematic lack of genuine political will. At a more operational level, limited skilled staff, small budget allocations and problems of coordination amongst existing institutions continue to be serious problems. In small islands states, capacity issues and lack of resources are particularly challenging problems, compounded by often un-costed proposals to set up multiple separate institutions (e.g. Ombudsman, leadership tribunals, national human rights institutions, anti-corruption commission).

In this context, UNDP has been working for the last ten years with Pacific partners to raise awareness and build capacity on tackling corruption regionally and nationally. UNDP has worked closely with partner countries, in particular within the framework of promoting ratification and implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) together with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Since 2012, the number of States parties to UNCAC in the region has increased from 6 to 13, with Samoa being the latest member to join the global UNCAC family in April 2018. To date, all but one PIC (Tonga) and the territory of Tokelau^[2], which are covered by UN-PRAC, are not States parties to UNCAC. Through ratification and then the UNCAC Review Mechanism, Pacific States parties have undergone or are undergoing a comprehensive review of their implementation of the Convention through an inter-governmental peer review process.

Building on the work that UNDP Pacific Centre had done, the UNDP Pacific Office is providing technical support, advisory service and implementing project activities in 15 countries and territories in the Pacific. The project activities are notably implemented through the UN Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) Project. This joint UNDP-UNODC Project promotes and strengthens measures to prevent and fight corruption more efficiently and effectively in the Pacific region. This aligns with the purpose of UNCAC in paragraph 1(1) and the spirit of SDG 16. The objectives of this Projects are three-fold. The first is to enable PICs to more effectively implement UNCAC and work towards the achievement of SDG 16. The second objective is to support PICs to strengthen broader governance frameworks in line with UNCAC and SDG16. The third is to provide support to PICs’ State and non-State actors to more effectively engage and partner to prevent and fight corruption.

The range of UNDP Anti-Corruption activities in the Pacific are wide and the support from the donor community expected to increase, notably with a new phase of the UN-PRAC project. The UN-PRAC project daily operations and anti-corruption activities implementation are managed by a Project Manager, under the joint supervision of the UNODC Regional Advisor and UNDP Regional Specialist.

[1]  UNDP Practice Note 2004, p. 1.

[2] New Zealand ratified UNCAC on 1 December 2015. However, upon ratification, the Government notified the Secretary-General of the following: “… consistent with the constitutional status of Tokelau and taking into account the commitment of the Government of New Zealand to the development of self-government for Tokelau through an act of self-determination under the Charter of the United Nations, [the ratification by New Zealand of this Convention] shall not extend to Tokelau unless and until a Declaration to this effect is lodged by the Government of New Zealand with the Depositary on the basis of appropriate consultation with that territory”.

The Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption Specialist in the Pacific Office will provide substantive and technical advice and advocacy on anti-corruption initiatives at the regional, and national levels. The Specialist will provide specific support for UNDP’s policy and programming, both in general governance-related work, and specifically in: (i) implementing the UN-PRAC Project together with UNODC; ii) strengthening the quality of UNDP’s policy advice and technical support to Pacific governments and UNDP country offices to promote transparency and accountability, in particular to address the effects of corruption on the poor and disadvantaged groups; and (ii) mainstreaming and applying accountability and anti-corruption norms and principles in UN/UNDP programming.

·         Regional Policy Advocacy and Advisory Services:

• Engage in effective advocacy with UNDP Country Offices towards Pacific Governments, CROP agencies, regional and international organizations and CSO counterparts on the value and means of promoting accountability and addressing corruption in the Pacific;
• Provide technical advice to UN/UNDP Country offices and government counterparts on how to promote accountability and tackle corruption in the Pacific, including by providing technical advice and support to implement UNCAC, with a special focus on UNCAC Chapters II (Preventive Measures) and III (Criminalization and Law Enforcement);
• Advocate with UNDP Country Office/UN Country Teams Senior Managers to support the inclusion of accountability and anti-corruption norms and principles in country-level programming frameworks at various stages in the UN/UNDP’s programme planning cycle, and to support the design of national/sub-regional anti-corruption projects as appropriate;
• Work with UNDP Country Offices to:
  • Engage with government and other stakeholders (including civil society) on developing and implementing policies and programmes to progress development efforts and governance interventions in the area of anti-corruption, including specific anti-corruption programmes and sector-specific anti-corruption interventions, with a focus on anti-corruption and SDGs achievement;
  • Support the establishment and strengthening of effective national accountability institutions, in locally-appropriate ways for small island states, including through the establishment of multi-function accountability institutions;
  • Provide technical support to governments and CSOs to develop and implement national freedom of information (FOI) policies and laws;
  • Manage a CSO small grant mechanism and other interventions designed to specifically strengthen Pacific CSO capacity to support anti-corruption initiatives;
  • Work with UN country teams and UNDP country offices to leverage technical and other resources for governance and anti-corruption programming, including through regional partnerships.

• Engage with government and other stakeholders (including civil society) on developing and implementing policies and programmes to progress development efforts and governance interventions in the area of anti-corruption, including specific anti-corruption programmes and sector-specific anti-corruption interventions, with a focus on anti-corruption and SDGs achievement;
• Support the establishment and strengthening of effective national accountability institutions, in locally-appropriate ways for small island states, including through the establishment of multi-function accountability institutions;
• Provide technical support to governments and CSOs to develop and implement national freedom of information (FOI) policies and laws;
• Manage a CSO small grant mechanism and other interventions designed to specifically strengthen Pacific CSO capacity to support anti-corruption initiatives;
• Work with UN country teams and UNDP country offices to leverage technical and other resources for governance and anti-corruption programming, including through regional partnerships.

Policy Development

• Facilitate regional and global policy developments on accountability, anti-corruption and FOI that are grounded in cutting edge policy developments and practices from the region, fed into HQ policy processes, and replicated in countries throughout the Pacific;
• Strengthen UNDP’s policies and programmes in the areas of governance, accountability, anti-corruption and FOI, as well as UNDP potential for influence within the international community by effectively channelling the views and perspectives from partners in the region to the global level;
• Promote UNDP policy on democratic governance, accountability, anti-corruption and FOI, grounded in international norms and standards and best practices at the country level through expert advice to country teams and by facilitating engagement between HQ and country teams in priority areas.

Partnership Building

• Effectively collaborate with UNODC in implementing the UN-PRAC project, as well as with the various UNDP and UNODC global anti-corruption projects, with a view for a third phase of UN-PRAC (2020-2024).
• Effectively position the regional governance programmes and initiatives to ensure that the Pacific Office’s approach to accountability, anti-corruption and FOI policy and programming is understood and supported by UN agencies, CROPs, regional and international organizations and other external partners;
• Effectively position UNDP’s contribution to the democratic governance practice area:
  • Within the UN System, to foster consistency in approach;
  • Within the global and regional level by continually scanning and assessing activities of non-UNDP players in the local context;
  • In support of UNCTs and UNDP Country Office programming arrangements with government counterparts;
• Under the leadership of UNDP Country Offices / UNCTs, engage national, regional and global partners in programme responses (including but not limited to UNODC, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Pacific Islands Legal Officers Network, Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions and other relevant donors and/or development partners);
• Lead partnership building with regional / local institutions and consultancies which are conversant in UNDP’s position and approaches and well placed to formulate and support the implementation of the practice area in response to local, national and global strategies;
• Mobilize resources in support of the Pacific Office’s regional governance programme and national level programming by UNDP country offices.

• Within the UN System, to foster consistency in approach;
• Within the global and regional level by continually scanning and assessing activities of non-UNDP players in the local context;
• In support of UNCTs and UNDP Country Office programming arrangements with government counterparts;

Quality control and assurance

• Provide quality assurance to ensure alignment of democratic governance, human rights and justice policies and programming, with UNDP’s global development policies and international norms and standards
• Coordinate the delivery of demand-driven technical advisory services to UNDP country offices, government counterparts and/or regional and international organizations ensuring professionalism in support (e.g. timeliness / responsiveness, quality in deliverables, with global coordination etc.);
• Apply an integrated and holistic approach to UNDP’s work on democratic governance and ensure cross-practice and cross-regional collaboration linking to global experiences and international best practices, norms and principles.

Knowledge Management

• Collaborate with UNDP Country offices, the Asia-Pacific regional Governance team in APRC in Bangkok, and UNDP’s regional and global anti-corruption programmes to support Pacific governments and other national and regional stakeholders in using knowledge to strengthen democratic governance, and the application of international accountability, anti-corruption and FOI norms and standards;
• Prepare practical, action-oriented and relevant knowledge products pertaining to democratic governance, accountability, anti-corruption and FOI in the Pacific region;
• Broker and promote local, regional and global knowledge exchange, through learning networks, partnerships and programme implementation, codification of lessons learned
• Work with UNDP Country Offices and other stakeholders, the democratic governance team in the Asia-Pacific Regional Centre in Bangkok and in other UNDP regional centres, the Asia Pacific Anti-Corruption Community of Practice, and the Pacific Accountability Network, to support Pacific countries in developing and disseminating evidence and lessons;
• Contribute to, and participant in, relevant country level, regional and global knowledge sharing events.

Corporate:

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modelling the UN/UNDP’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional:

Leadership:

Managing Relationships:

• Well-developed people management and organizational skills;
• Strong ability to work in  teams; creating an enabling environment, mentoring and developing partners and colleagues;
• Excellent negotiating and networking skills;
• Strong resource mobilization and partnering skills.

Managing Complexity:  

• Ability to address global development issues;
• Substantive knowledge and understanding of development cooperation with the ability to support the practice architecture of UNDP and inter-disciplinary issues;
• Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate global knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives;
• A sound global network of institutional and individual contacts.

Knowledge Management and Learning:

• Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products;
• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UN/UNDP.
• Provides constructive coaching and feedback.

Judgment/Decision-Making:

• Mature judgment and initiative;
• Proven ability to provide strategic direction in practice area;
• Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges.

Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension